


This Is Not My Home

by tallandlovely



Category: Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tallandlovely/pseuds/tallandlovely
Summary: Robynn is a skilled knight, trained from a young age to be the main protector of the two heirs to the thrown. Over the years, Roby jas grown less and less attached to the castle and those who rule it, but more attached to the two children who lived and breathed every ounce of life into her that she had beat out of her to be their guardian. When faced with war, Robynne and the two heirs are forced between a rock and a hard place.
Kudos: 1





	This Is Not My Home

You would think, that the raging war outside would fill me with fear most, but it is rather the silence of the castle. A place in my life that has meant so much, and so little. It’s easy for me to make my way through the halls, obvious bait for those who wish to slit the throats of some certain royalty. 

The walls are dull as always, the castle itself is bland and forgettable, it is the people inside it that have been more memorable than any egotistical painting on the wall. The princess, her dashing through the hallways, sword in hand trying so desperately to catch up to me. 

The princex, their quietness always surprising, hiding in hallways trying not to be found for their duties, reading banned books I had given them and escaping into fictional worlds, or hiding behind me, a much taller person to avoid being caught by those looking for them.

I had been trained to protect these kids since the day I was born. To the kingdom, I’m just another tool to keep them from passing, but I know better. We are friends, siblings even, I would train for a hundred more years just to keep them safe, a big sister to my two favorite people. I was five years old when the princess was born, and, and 8 when the princex was born, by eleven, I was fully integrated into the castle.

I do not know how I feel about this place, it took some orphaned child and made them into a protector, a killing machine, and they tried to make me empty. They failed, it is very hard to be empty when you are loved so hard. The two royal children’s parents were awful to them, neglectful and using, not allowed to talk to other children but me, so I got the brunt of their love.

The first person to enter the castle seems to be a high ranking guard, but twenty two years of learning how to fight and kill makes it easy to take on any single person. They’re dead fast, easy, I assume others are around, so I quicken my pace, a light jog, searching for those who have snuck pass the outer guards to face the monster that lurks around the halls, protecting it’s kin, little do they know, the beast is not just equipped with claws.

Magic has been deeply shunned by the world for many generations, few are born with it these days, most, of the little left, are taught. I was lucky enough to be born with some kind of fire under my skin.

The next person to enter the castle road on a horse, assumingely having barreled through idiotically. It’s laughable, that they thought they could take me alone. Their dead, and I pat the horse, the poor animal hadn’t done anything wrong, what a beauty, fast, sleek.

It continues like this, someone find their way into the castle walls, and the bodies continue to pile up. I sit like a queen atop a pile of bleeding and smoldering souls. My brown hair is stained red with blood, and when someone who is similarly messy, my grip tightens on my sword. A challenge.

Their hair is blond, and significantly longer than mine. They lift their sword, “Step aside, beast, you are not a the monster I have come to slay.” 

I pace, my eyes never leaving them, “What are you? Too scared to say my name, you are going to anger the dragon as you enter it’s lair, there’s little reason for you to be polite.”

“I don’t think someone like you deserves a name.”

I scoff. This is not a new speech, but as I go to respond, a familiar voice responds instead. “Don’t talk to her like that.” Says the princex, holding a dagger like they do not have magic stronger than the weak blade, dumb child.

“Quin. You weren’t supposed to leave till I came back.”

“We were worried you died.” 

“We?”  
The princess moved from behind their taller sibling, holding a battle axe in front of her like a shield. 

“Luna,” I said, looking up and down the long haired princess, “Run.” I turned to the warrior, who had entered the castle, hot flame spitting out of my hands and over the pile of bodies, blocking their way, before turning and grabbing the two children.

There was not a word as we rushed through the castle, careful not to waste oxygen. The sound of all of our boots echoed through the empty castle, the sound of flame following us through the hallway, our second trailer, but least dangerous trailer. 

I saw the way the blond warrior looked when they saw the two children, wearing blood dripping down their face like a badge of honor, they were not here to just kill a king, destroy a dictator, something I wasn’t entirely opposed to, they were here to kill a family. 

Quinn and Luna stopped at a familiar brick wall, pushing it open together as I stood, waiting for our attacker to emerge from the fire like some unhuman being, but no one ever came. We entered the tunnel, quietly, this was a place we had snuck out that castle a hundred times before, the three of us, watching the stars or drinking ale till we can't feel any of the sadness that drove us all insane in this castle.

We all knew that this castle would not be home to any of us for long, years before war broke out. We were simply pawns in it's long, convoluted, and empathiless chess match, born and raised to be nothing but a faceless knight or another queen meant to pick up the missing pieces of war and greed, and eventually fall into an endless cycle, or another forgotten heir married off to someone they have never met before. The three of us knew we could never let this happen, as we were far too filled with life and realness to be pushed into a numbing life fighting for something you do not care about.

The tunnel let out at the shore of the lake, the usually crystal blue waters blood infested, bodies floating in the water like ships bound to sink. 

“We have to sneak towards the stables or find a horse somewhere, follow my lead.” The two of them nodded, before I began to cover Luna’s armor and Quin’s robes in mud and sand, before we began towards the stables.

Few of the opposition dare waste their time killing what they think to be two civilians especially with the battle raging on right next to them, few attempted to kill the unknown fleeing solider, but those who did met their end with relative ease. 

The stables stood, a raging fire. I ran into the fire with little hesitation, it flicked against my armor, refusing to burn one of it's own as I made a path through the room. Many horses had passed already, their burning bodies laying forever forgotten amongst the carnage. A horse whinnied, the fire growing closer to the back of the stable where it was stationed. 

As I made my way towards the back, I noticed a second horse, my own one, Creep. I grabbed Creep, still silent despite the burning around her, and sent her out to Luna and Quin, parting the fire mildly as she moved swiftly through the flames. I moved with haste towards the second horse, hoping on him with ease, before trotting out of the stables, only the ends of my short hair singed by the fire. 

The three of us left into the horse training range quickly as possible, heading towards the forest that would protect us from the battle that continued, I turned, checking for followers an arrow thudded into the small crack that sat and my waist. The blond warrior had once again found us. 

I held the arrow, grimacing at the warm blood that leaked into my already bloody armor. I turned as the horse continued forward, the warrior also on their own horse. A ball of royaling fire grew in my arms and in seconds I had at them as they drew their bow once again. I pulled out my sword as I turned to warn Quin. 

“Sheild!” I yelled, as another arrow fired at the two, barely missing as Quins yellow magic broke the arrow. “Keep going! I'll keep them busy!” 

The arrow cracked between my armor as I was jostled by the horse, and trying desperately to ignore the pain. I launched another fireball at them, watching as they weaved left, towards the children.

They hastily fired another arrow at me, as I hit it out of the air, I knew this would not end well. I slowed my horse down as another arrow pinged of my armour, and soon I was only a few feet ahead of the warrior. I slowed more, until I could reach the head of the horse with my hand, setting my hand on it's head, suddenly the white mane lit with fire, this small victory however, did not come without loss, as I lifted my hand, the warrior pulled a dagger, plunging it into my palm. 

Their horse began to panic, bucking the warrior off as the three of us continued into the forest, the two siblings well ahead of me. We road until we were sure that any and all warriors following us would be left in the dust, and until I could barely keep my head up from the blood loss. The world seemed to slow, the quietness of he forest making my heart ache for any amount of noise at all, and then, my grip on the horses mane faltered, and the quiet clank on my body falling against the hard dirt seemed like music to my ears. 

I stared up at the trees and the blue sky, in what I assumed might be my dying moments, thinking of all the things I had done in my life, seventeen years with these kids, and I would trade them for nothing but their safety and happiness. 

The look of Luna as she peeled off my armor, her eyes filled with tears hurt me more than words. I lifted my non-bleeding hand and wiped away hot tears from her plump cheeks. 

“You’re gonna be okay Roby. Just hold on okay?” She said through gulps of tears, pulling out the arrow fragment lodged beneath my rib cage. She pressed down on the wound as Quin tore long strips of cloth from their cloak. Quickly throwing some to their sister before delicately wrapping my hand. “Robynn you just gotta stay awake, we need you, come on.”

That was the last thing I heard, before it all slipped away.


End file.
